Welcome To Therapy

Prior to our initial appointment (called a New Client Intake) I will email you a copy of the intake documents to review, complete, and bring to your appointment. During our first appointment, we’ll review the intake documents and you will have an opportunity to ask me any questions you may have.

The initial session is a time for us to get acquainted and discuss the presenting concerns that brought you into therapy. You will also hopefully get a sense of my counseling style and whether or not you feel you might be comfortable working with me. This is also an opportunity for me to help determine whether or not I feel I am clinically appropriate to help you with your presenting issues.

Throughout the appointment, we will discuss your presenting problems and current symptoms. Be advised I will ask about your mental health and medical history, if you have ever had any thoughts of self-harm or suicide attempts, if you’ve ever experienced any hallucinations, and what your drug/alcohol use looks like. These are common questions that I ask everyone in order to rule out other more serious issues. We will also discuss your goals for therapy, if you have any at that point.

At the end of our meeting, we will assess whether we are a good clinical fit. Since time often flies by during the initial appointment we may need an additional session to get a complete assessment of clinical fit. While I try my best to screen for good fit clients before agreeing to schedule the initial appointment, sometimes it does not become apparent that we are a therapeutic mismatch until after we meet and further discuss your presenting issues. If you or I determine we are not a good fit I am happy to help you find another therapist who would be a better fit.

If I feel we are a good clinical fit you will then be able to decide whether or not you would like to schedule another appointment. There is absolutely NO PRESSURE to schedule another appointment. You are welcome to take your time and think about it or continue to interview other therapists. If you decide you’d like to continue meeting we will then work on establishing goals and a plan for achieving those goals (treatment plan). If you ultimately decide that we are not a good fit, that’s perfectly okay! Therapists are all different with different personalities and approaches. At that point, I will help connect you with another therapist.

It’s okay to feel apprehensive or anxious…

I expect you may feel somewhat uncomfortable during the initial appointment and this is totally normal. After all, you’re meeting someone new and sharing personal information that you probably don’t share often or at all. It’s completely normal to feel a bit anxious about this. If you don’t feel comfortable sharing everything during our first meeting, that’s okay! Therapy is a process. Hopefully, as we continue to meet and our relationship deepens you will feel more and more comfortable to reveal your authentic self. You will never be forced to share or discuss something that you are uncomfortable with. You are in the driver’s seat with when and how you decide to share.